> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.octoparse.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Captcha

> Understand how CAPTCHA affects Octoparse tasks and what to do when a website shows verification challenges.

CAPTCHA is a verification challenge used by websites to distinguish normal users from automated behavior. If a website shows CAPTCHA during task building or extraction, the task may pause, fail, or return incomplete data.

CAPTCHA usually indicates that the website has detected unusual activity, strict access controls, or a sensitive workflow such as login, search, or repeated page loading.

## Common CAPTCHA situations

CAPTCHA may appear when:

* A task sends too many requests too quickly
* The website detects repeated access from the same IP
* Login or session behavior looks unusual
* The task runs from a cloud environment the site does not trust
* The website has strong anti-bot protection
* A proxy or IP address has poor reputation

## What to do first

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run a local test">
    Check whether CAPTCHA appears during task building, local runs, or only cloud runs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Slow down the workflow">
    Add waits, reduce frequency, and avoid unnecessary repeated actions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check login and cookies">
    If the website requires login, confirm that the session is valid and stable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review proxy needs">
    If IP reputation or location is the issue, test an appropriate proxy setup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor logs">
    Check where CAPTCHA appears and whether the task can continue afterward.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Possible approaches

| Approach                     | When it helps                                   |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Add waits                    | The website reacts to fast or repeated actions  |
| Reduce schedule frequency    | CAPTCHA appears after too many runs             |
| Use stable cookies           | The site requires session continuity            |
| Configure proxy              | IP reputation or region affects access          |
| Run locally                  | The site blocks cloud environments              |
| Manually verify during setup | CAPTCHA appears before reaching the target page |

## Limits

CAPTCHA is designed to prevent automated access. Some sites may not be suitable for automated extraction if CAPTCHA appears consistently or blocks the required workflow.

<Warning>
  Do not attempt to bypass security controls in a way that violates website terms or applicable laws. If CAPTCHA prevents access to data you are not permitted to collect, stop the task.
</Warning>

## Related pages

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Proxy" href="/docs/platform/proxy">
    Use proxy settings when IP or location affects task access.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Auto-login & cookies" href="/docs/platform/auto-login-cookies">
    Improve session stability for login-required websites.
  </Card>
</Columns>